Improvement in burglar-alarm apparatus for portable safes



2 Shams-Ghee? L S. J. HOFFMAN.

improvement in Burgiar-Alarm Apparatus for Portabie Safes, &c.

No 127,165. Patented May 28,1872.

Witnesses: Invefitor: 7 1%, 7% g) j 4 NMv FHOTO-U7WOHMPHIC C0. MYJGSEIIRIVE'S P190655 5/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL J. HOFFMAN, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

IMPROVEMENT lN BURGLAR-ALARM APPARATUS FOR PORTABLE SAFES, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,165, dated May 28, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

Specification describing certain Improvements in Electric Burglar-Alarms, invented by SAMUEL J. HOFFMAN, of the city and county of Mobile and State of Alabama.

The first part of my invention relates to the combination of a safe or strong box, with an elictric circuit including one or more alarm apparatuses, in such a manner that either the opening of said safe or its removal from its ordinary position by any unauthorized person will cause the said alarm or alarms to be sounded. The second part of my invention consists in the combination, with the said safe electric circuit and alarm, of a lock-switch by means of which the alarm may be rendered inoperative where the safe is to be opened or removed by any person unauthorized to do so. The third part of my invention consists in an apparatus to be attached to the doors, windows, or other openings of a room containing the said safe, so that any attempt to enter the same by an unauthorized person will cause the said alarm to be sounded. This apparatus is more especially designed for the protection of safes transported on railroad-cars by the agents of express and forwarding companies; but I do not desire to limit myself to this particular application, as the invention is equally applicable to the protection of all movable safes or other receptacles used for the deposit of money or articles of value in private dwellings and elsewhere.

Figure l is a tranverse vertical section of a safe, together with the floor that supports it, showing, also, the lock-switch and its connection with the safe. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the alarm apparatus. Fig. 3 is a plan showing the manner of applying my invention to the protection of safes carried on railroad trains. Figs. 4 and 5 are detached Views, showing the circuit-breaking attachment applied to a door and window.

A, Fig. 1, represents a metallic safe provided with a door, a, opening at the top by a hinge at a, and secured at b, in the usual manner, by a padlock or otherwise. In the figure the safe is represented as resting upon the floor B of arailroad car. A metallic plate, 0, is let into the floor of the car flush with the upper surface thereof, and secured by bolts and nuts 0 c. A metallic arm, f, is secured to thelower part of the safe, projecting below the line of the bottom, which, when the safe is in its proper position, enters into an aperture in the plate 0, forming an electrical connection therewith. On the opposite side of the safe a piece of vulcanite or other non-conductin g material, d, is secured by screws, thus insulating the body of the safe from the metallic lug e, which is secured, in the manner clearly shown in the figure, by a bolt, h h, passing through to the interior of the safe, insulated by a thimble of vulcanite, d, and secured by a nut g on the inside. A metallic plate, K, similar to the plate 0, before described, is provided with a pin, k, projecting above its upper surface, which fits closely into a corresponding aperture in the lug e. The plate K is secured to the floor by bolts and nuts 70 and k. A shield, J, is attached to the safe, covering the lug c and its connections. A spring, M, is mounted upon an insulatingsupport, 1', inside of the safe and near the top, which presses against and forms an electrical connection with the stud on when the door a of the safe is closed; but when the door is opened connection is broken, the spring M and stud m being no longer in contact.

It will thus be understood that the safe itself, when placed in its proper position, forms a part of the electric circuit, which may be traced as follows: From the point 1 along the wire 2 to the bolt 0, plate 0, and arm f, and thence through the body A and door a of the safe to the stud m and spring M; thence along the wire 3 to the bolt h, lug 0, pin k, plate K, and bolt k; thence along the wire 4 to the point 5. It is obvious that either the opening of the door a or the removal of the safe from its proper position will break the electric circuit and sound the alarm, by means to be here inafter explained.

In order that the safe may be opened or removed by any person properly authorized to do so, without sounding the alarm or breaking the circuit, I have provided an apparatus which Iterm the lock s\vitch,'and which may beplaced in any convenient and secure position. It consists of a lock, F, of any suitable construction, so arranged that, when its bolt m is thrown out by means of a proper key, it forms an elec trical connection between the springs m m and establishes a short-circuit between the points 1 and 5, after which the safe may be opened or removed without breaking the circuit. This, however, can only be done by a person in possession of the proper key.

Flg. 2 represents the alarm apparatus, which may be of any suitable construction. The one shown in the drawing consists of a train of clock-work, D, driven by a coiled spring, E, but held in check by the .detent of the lever G acting upon the pin j, and held in this position by the attraction of the electro-magnet E. If the circuit of the electro-magnet His broken the spring I raises the lever Gr, releasing the pin j, and allowing the wheel D to revolve by the action of the spring E. The teeth of the wheel D cause the escapement L to oscillate and brin gthe hammer l into contact with the bell N at each movement, and thus sound a continuous alarm as long as the circuit remains broken.

Fig. 3 shows the manner in which my invention is applied to the protection of safes on railroad cars. The drawing represents abaggage and express car, and a portion of alocomotive, of the usual construction. The car is divided by a partition, at O, in the usual. man ner, the. part on the left being occupied by the expressman, and the part on the right by the baggageman. The safes A and A, with their respective, lock-switches F and F, together with the battery P and alarm N, are placed in the expressmans apartment. The alarm N is placed in the apartment of the baggageman, and the alarm N upon the locomotive within hearing of the engineer, and connected by wires, in the manner shown in Fig. 3 by dotted lines, the connections between the different vehicles of the, train being made by suitable couplings S and S. The electric circuit, starting from one pole of the battery'P, proceeds to the point 1, and thence, by wire 2, through the safes A and A thence, by wire 6, to the point 7; thence to the alarm-bells N N and N, and back to the other pole of the batteryoP. Thus it will be understood that the opening or removal of either of the safes A or A without first setting the lock-switches F and F, will sound an alarm in the difl'erent parts of the train, as specified. It is obvious that any desired number of safes can be thus connected with a single battery, and caused to sound an alarm in any desired number of places simultaneously, and the alarm will likewise be sounded if the wires are cut or otherwise interrupted. For still greater security the doors and windows of the apartment containing the safes may also be provided with circuit-breakers, so arranged as to sound the alarm by breakingthe same circuit whenever they are opened.

Fig. 4 shows a door with a circuit-breaker attached. When the door is closed the arm Q presses the flexible arms q and q into contact with each other and maintain the electrical connection. When the door is open the connection is broken, as shown in the drawing.

Fig. 5 shows a window arranged in a similar manner. The arm R is attached to the sash, and, when the window is closed, presses the springs r and 1" into contact and maintains the electrical connection. When the window is raised, as shown in the-figuragnd 1. The combination of a movable safe or other receptacle, for the deposit of valuables, with an electric circuit and one or more alarm apparatuses, in such a manner that the said alarm or alarms will be sounded either by the opening or removal of said safe, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the above, a circuitcloser operated by a lock, for the purpose of rendering the alarm inoperative when the safe is to be removed or opened, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a safe or other similar receptacle and its attachment, constructed and arranged substantially as described, with the metallic plates 0 and K, in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The combination, with a door, of .the arm Q and the flexible arms q and q, in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

5. The combination of the arm R and springs r r with the sash of a window, in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

SAML. J. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

.W. J. OAss, JEFFERSON WOOLF. 

